What is the water quality grade for Hemingway Lake?

Hemingway Lake in Lapeer County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Surface area: 65 acres.

Is Hemingway Lake safe to swim in?

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Hemingway Lake has an overall water quality grade of C. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Hemingway Lake

Lapeer County, WisconsinLimited DataMesotrophic

Hemingway Lake is a 65-acre mesotrophic lake in Lapeer County, MI. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Lapeer County, Hemingway Lake ranks #6 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2023-09-06. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

Water Quality Grade: C, Fair

Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Trophic State Index: 49.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	7 ft	C
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	49	Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	65 acres

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #6 of 8 lakes in Lapeer County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Hemingway Lake holds Grade C. 2 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Lapeer County

Barnes Lake

Lapeer County

Middle Lake; Elba Township; Section 13

More Wisconsin Lake Rankings

Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin

Top 25 by overall water quality score

Best swimming lakes in Wisconsin

Grade A/B + low algae filter

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Panfish-rich, public access

All Wisconsin lakes

Full state directory

Other Grade C Lakes in Wisconsin

Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township

Cass County · Clarity: 7 ft

Brooks Lake

Leelanau County · Clarity: 9.5 ft

Van Etten Lake North Central Basin; Oscoda Township

Iosco County · Clarity: 5.5 ft

White Lake

Muskegon County · Clarity: 6.8 ft

Little Lake Twenty

Gladwin County · Clarity: 9 ft

East Twin Lake

Montmorency County · Clarity: 9 ft

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Portage Lake Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township Chippewa Lake Northeast Basin; Chippewa Township Bear Lake East Basin; Pleasanton Township

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Hemingway Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hemingway Lake Dam (completed 1912), built primarily for recreation on the Hemmingway and Wipple Drain; earth-type dam, 12 ft tall and 200 ft long.

Surface area: 65 ac
Normal storage: 700 ac-ft
Max storage: 875 ac-ft
Drainage area: 2.6 sq mi
Hazard class: Low
Owner: Hemingway Lake Home Owners Assn

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MI00294 · Operator website

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2023-09-06

Monitoring stations: 1